Fire extinguisher



Dec. 26, 1933. s GREEN 1,941,298

FIRE EXTINGUI SHER Filed June 8, 1932 51/ INVENTOR SAMUEL M GREEN BY 4 &

A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 26, 1933 FmEl Ex'rmGmsnEa I Samuel Green, Springfield, Mass. Application June 8, 1932. Serial No. 615,959

' 6" Claims. (01. 169-26) j This inventionrelates to fire extinguishersof the type in which the fire extinguishing material is confined ina glass container and is released by fracturing thecontainer.

.,One object of the invention resides in an' 'im proved mechariisrn, automatically responsive .to a predetermined degree of heat, to shatter the con tainer-and release its contents;

Other and further objects re'side inftheconstruction ,of the, support; facilitating the use of the/container as a hand grenade,. and in details; of the heat responsive mechanism which together with other advantages will be apparentfrorn the following specification andclaimsr In the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates an embodiment of the'i'nvention: j

Fig. 1 is aside elev' 'onof the complete-[device;

Fig. '2 is a detail viewpartly in section showing the "structure for automatically shattering the container; Y f, i 1

Fig. 3 is a detail viewshowing almodified' form of connectionfor the supporting straps; and

Fig. 4 is a detail viewjshowing' a modified'form of suspension'member and still another manner of connecting the supporting straps; f

Referring to .the drawing 1 designates a shatterable'container, formed of' 'g'lass'or the like} carrying a quantity oi-flr'e'extin'guishing liquid such as carbon tetr'achlbrideor other suitable material 2. The container is carried on a support generally indicated ate which comprises a'holr low cylindrical portion5, the upper end of which is open as shown at 6'and provided with a flaring seat 7 uponfwhich the" container'l rests. The flared seat 7 is formed at its edge with a'downe wardly extending flanges. Q U 3 v f The containeris normally retainedin position on seat 7 by means of a plurality ofjflatr'esilientfstraps 9. Three straps are shown in the drawing but it will be. understood that the number may be Vvaried to accommodate different sizes or shapes of containers. As shown in Fig. 1 thelower ends of straps 9'are" bent to formhooks. 10 en:- gaging in slots .11 formed in" 8. The upper ends of straps 9 are bent to form hooks IZeng'aging in slots; 13, in a cap or upper suspending member 13;. The flat form'of straps 9 tend to keep them in positionjagainst the sides of the container 1' and to keep the latter in position on the seat 7 7 but due to their resilience they may be distorted from this position to permit ready removal of the container from the support, as indicated at 16 in dotted lines "in' Fig. 1 when it is desired to use the oontainer as a grenade. Cap member 14 is provided, with aligned openings 17 adapted to engage over, the hooked end 18 of a wall bracket 19, or other suitable hanger. It will be understood that the straps 9 may be secured to flange 8 in anysuitable manner, for example, in place of books 16 the straps may be provided with an 7 enlarged head 20 as shown in Fig. 3, in which case the flange 8 is providedwith open'notches 2 1 of a widthto receive the body of the strap, the enlarged head 20 en aging the inside, face of the flange 8 to hold the strap in plac'e. If desired one end of. the straps may be permanently secured in place as indicated in Fig. 4' where the upper ends of the straps 9 are welded orotherwise secured to a cap member 22"which' is shown as dome shaped and provided 'vrith an' e'ye23' by which the ex tinguisher may be suspended from any suitable hanger. Thesupport 4 carries means for auto matically shatteringthe container in response to a predetermined temperature; For thispurpose a bolt 25 is'positioned in thecylinder 5. The bolt includes a shank 26 and ahead 2'7 projecting radially beyond the shank. As best shown in Fig;

2, a coil spring 28 surrounds the shank of the bolt: and is adapted to be compressed between the head 27 of the bolt and an inwardly turnedflange 2 9 which forms the base oi the'cylinderg The, headof the bolt is provided Witha' conical cam face '30 for a purpose later to befully described. The belt is retained'in retracted position in cylinder 5 by ajfusible link which comprises a retaining member 31 and a thrust member 32. The retaining member is formedjof a flat metal strip. bent atits'lowerend into'the formof a hook 33. adapted to'engage around the flange 29. Member .31 isprovided, intermediate the hook 33 and its upper free end, with an inwardly bent portion 35 adapted to project through an op'ening 36 out in thewall of cylinder 5 into contact with the cam 30 of the bolt headto hold the bolt'in retracted position against the action of spring 28. The action of thespring tending to project the bolt into contactwith container is taken as tensionby-the retaining member in the portion be tween the, inwardly projecting bend 35 and the" hooked end 33. "Dueto the "carnBO spring 28'also exerts an outward thrust against member 31 tend ing toforce portion 35 outwardly of opening 36 and to pivot member 31 about its hooked connec-' tion with the base of the cylinder. Member 31 is normally held'in bolt retaining positionag'ainst thisoutward thrust exerted through 'camj30 by thrust member 32 which is also inthe form' of a flat metal strip and is bent intermediate its end as'at 38 toform a portion 39 engageable with the inner face of flange 8 and a portion 40 of a length to overlap the free end of retaining member 31. The overlapping ends of members 31 and 32 are secured together by means of fusible solder as indicated at 42. It will be seen that the outward thrust of spring 28 acting through cam 30 is transmitted by member 32 to flange 8 and that this thrust tends to pivot member 32 about the flange 8 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. No shear is imposed on the solder 42; the separation of the soldered ends of members 31 and 32 being effected by a pulling apart in directions substantially at right angles to their faces.

Until released by the fusingof the solder the bolt is held in retracted position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. When a fire occurs the container may be removed from its support as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and used as a hand grenade. When operated automatically, the solder 42 fuses when a predetermined temperature is reached permitting the camBO to pivot the members 31 and 32 outwardlygthus releasing the bolt which is projecting by spring 28 into shattering contact with the base of the container through the open end 6 of the cylinder 5.

It is to be understood that the terms upper and lower as used in the specification and claims are used for convenience of description only and that the invention is notlimited to any specific orientation of the parts by the use of such terms.

What I claim is: V

1. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container enclosing a quantity of fire extinguishing material, a support for the container, a bolt carried by the support, a spring adapted to project the bolt into shattering contact with the container, two members'having their adjacent ends, secured in overlapped relation by a fusible solder, the opposite ends of said members engaging said support for pivotal movement with respectthereto, and means carried by one of said members intermediate its ends and" positioned to engage the bolt and hold it against the action of said spring, the engaging surfaces of said means and the bolt being inclined to the line of projection of the bolt so as to create a transverse component of'the spring action tending to swing said members about their pivots to release the boltupon fusing of the solder.

2. A fire extinguisher which comprises ashatterable container enclosing a quantity of fire extinguishing material, a support for said container, a recess formed in the support, a headed bolt positioned in the recess, a radially acting cam formed on the bolt, a spring adapted to project the bolt into shattering contact with the container, a fusible link comprising a retaining member pivotally engaged at one end with the support and provided intermediate its ends with an oifset portion adapted to engage said can-1 to hold the bolt in retracted position against the action of the spring, a thrust member pivotally engaged at one end with the support, the free ends of said retaining member and thrust member being overlapped, the overlapped portions of said members being secured together by a fusible solder to retain the oiiset portion of theretaining member inv bolt restraining engagement with said cam surface against the outward thrust of'the spring exerted through said cam.

3. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container enclosing a quantity of fire extinguishing material, a support for said container including an open ended cylinder upon Whichthe container rests, said cylinder being provided with a side opening, a headed bolt positioned in said cylinder, a radially acting cam formed on the head of said bolt, a spring positioned in the cylinder and adapted to project the bolt into shattering contact with the container through the open end of the cylinder, a fusible link comprising a retaining member pivotally engaged at one end with the lower end of the cylinder, andprovided intermediate its ends with an offset portion, adapted to engage said cam, through said side opening, to hold the bolt in retracted position against the action of the spring,

.a thrust member pivotally engaged with the upper end of the cylinder, the free ends of said retaining and thrust members being overlapped and the overlapped portions secured together by a fusible solder to retain the oifset portion of the retaining, member in bolt restraining position against the outward thrust of the spring exerted through said cam.

l. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container enclosing a quantity of fire extinguishing material, a support upon which said container is adapted to rest, said support including a hollow cylinder, open at its upper end and provided at said end with a flaring seat portion upon which the container seats, the'edge of. said" seat' portion having a downwardly extending flange, an inwardly extending flange formed ,on' the lower end of said cylinder, said cylinder being provided with side opening intermediate its ends,

a bolt having a conical head, positioned in the cylinder, a spring surrounding the shank of the bolt and adapted to be compressed between said inwardly projecting flange and the head of" the bolt to project bolt through the open upper end of the cylinder into shattering contact with the base of the container, a fusible link comprising a fiat-sided retaining member, the lower end of which is bent into hookform'to'pivotally engage about said inwardly" extending flange, said retaining member having an offset portionintermediate its ends positioned" to engage the head of said'bolt through the side opening in the cylinderv to retain the bolt in inoperative position against the action of said spring, and'a fiat-sided thrust memberhaying its lower end overlapping the upper end of theiretaining member, the overlapping portions of said retaining and thrust members being "held together by a fusible-solder, the upper end of the thrust member being bent outwardly to pivotally engage the inner face of said downwardly extending seat flange to there-, by hold the retaining member in engagement with. said bolt against the outward thrust'ofsaid'spring;

5. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shat; terable container-enclosing a quantity offireieirtinguishing material, a lower support'upon which said container rests, said support including temperature controlledmeans for shattering the con tainer, an upper suspending member, a plurality of straps hung from said suspending memberand connected to said lower support to suspend the same with said container, saidstraps extending inv embracing contact with the sidesofthe con tainer and s'o spaced from one another as'to normally restrain the container from tipping; later ally off said support, therelative disposition 01" said straps, suspending'member and support'b'ein'gi' such that the straps may be spreadapart-marrually suificient for the removal of thebontain'er laterally from between the support and suspendT- ing member.

6. A fire extinguisher which comprises a shatterable container enclosing a quantity oflfirelex is p spaced from one another as to normally restrain I the container from tipping laterally off said support, the relative disposition of said straps, suspending member and support being such that the straps may be spread apar'tmanually sufflcient for the removal of the container laterally from betwen the support and suspending member. V v

' SAMUEL M. GREEN. 

